Slide fastener



July T9, 1932- s. H. NORTON ,867,586

SLIDE FASTENER Filed Aug* 22, 1931 l mgENToR. Summum N70 imm Patented July 1.9, 1932 yUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE `SALM'UEI H. NORTON, OF MEAD'VILLE, PENNSYLVANIA, .ASSIGNOR T0 HOOKLESS, FASTENER COMPANY, .A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA SLIDE FASTENER Application liled August 22, 1931. Serial No. 558,687.

My invention relates to slide fasteners, that is, that class of fastening devices having cooperating interlocking means adapted to be engaged and disengaged by movementl of a slider from one end to the other of the fastener.

Slide fasteners comprising a pair of flexible stringers having small plate or block-like elements attached along the Stringer edges in uniformly spaced relation, have been used for several years on numerous articles of everyday use, such as rubber overshoes, handbags, childrens clothing, and luggage and have become familiar to the general public. -In many cases it has been observed that the users of articles equipped with slide fasteners will employ the slider for pulling the edges of the opening together, this bein possible due to the cam structure of the slider. The cases where the slider has been used most frequently in this manner occur in rubber footwear, childrens leggings, corsets, bags when lled, jackets and other clothing.

The use of slide fasteners in the manner referred to has frequently resulted in catching of the guide flanges between the fastener elements and particularly in cases where attempts are made to close the fastener under considerable stress. It has also been observed that sharp corners of the fastener elements which bear hard against the walls of the slider have often caused burrs to be thrown up on the slider ianges after considerable use funder stress. Such burrs tend to wear and cut the threads of the fabric stringers on which the elements'are mounted, resulting in complete fastener failures. In some cases the elements have actually been moved out of place on their fabric stringers by a stron pull on the slider after one of the slider wa s or flanges was caught between the fastener elements. Furthermore, in fasteners heretofore used in any case Where being closed under appreciable stress, the slider runs hard and scratchy.

The principal objects of my invention are to provide'an improved slide fastener which will be exceedingly smooth in operation, particularly when being used to pull together the edges of an opening under stress, to eliminate excessive wear and burrs on the slider walls or flanges, and to avoid catching ofthe sliderl between the elements and consequent mis- ,x placement of the elements on the Stringer.

g the ends of the elements so that the slider will not catch between the elements but be carried over them in successive order. By beveling or inclining the end surfaces of the fastener elements the slider may be moved easily and smoothly to a. surprising degree even though considerable stress is being placed on the fastener.

In the accompanying drawing I have shown for purposes of illustration oneembodiment which my invention may assume in practice. In this drawing: v

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a portion of a slide so faste-ner having my improvement incorporated therein; v

Fig. 2 is a side view of one of the fastener elements detached from the Stringer;

/Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same element 85 on its recess side;

Fig'. 4 is a perspective view with parts broken away showing the interior construction of the slider; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal sec- 90 tion illustrating the manner in which my invention accomplishes the objects above set forth.

The form of fastener which I have chosen for purposes of illustrating my improvement 95 is similar to that described and claimed in the patent to Gideon Sundback No. 1,219,881, granted March 20, 1917. The fastener comprises fastener stringers 10, 11 having env larged or corded edges 12, 13 respectively to 100 which fastener elements 14 are attached. A slider 15 is actuated by a pivoted pull device 16 along the series of fastener elements 14 from one end to the other of the fastener in openin and closing. The construction and princip e of operation of slide fasteners is now well-known and will not be described in detail.

` The fastener elements 14 are jof plate or block-like form with their wider dimension extending transversely of the plane of the fastener stringers and each element has at one end an interlocking recess 17 on one of its wider faces and a correspondingly formed projection 18 on the opposite side. The elements are brought together in fanwise relation interlocking and the projections and recesses successively engage each other Vto hold the fastener securely closed. At the other end each element has a pair of spaced apart arms or jaws 19 which yengage around the corded edges 12, 13 and hold the elements securely in place on their respective string- The slider 15 is preferably a one-piece structure formed by suitable swaging, cutting and bending operations as disclosed in the-patent to Gideon Sundback 1,661,144, although it will be understood for purposes in my invention, that almost any suitable Vslider may be used. The slider body comprises spaced apart parallel upper and lower plates or wings 20, 21 respectively, rigidly united by a. solid trangularly shaped neck portion 22 at one end and near the center of the plates. The sides of the plates are turned inwardly to provide side walls or guide flanges 23 of, which four are shown, although in some cases two flanges on only one wing might suice. A pull attaching lug 24 is formed on the upper wing for convenient attachment of the finger pull 16'. The shape of the interior channel of the slider is best shown in Fig. 5, it beingnoted that the channel has two diverging branches 25 at one end which merge into the single channel 26 at the other end. The upper portion 27 of each guide ilange, of course, extends at the same angle as the branches 25 of the channel. It will thus be seen that the inclined parts of the slider flanges serve as a cam to pull the op osed series of fastener elements 14 together inside the slider.

When, however, the edges of the article are far apart and must be pulled together under considerable stress, each Stringer will han over the slider flanges as shown in Fig. 5 and with the conventional construction it is apparent that the ends o'f the slider flanges catch between the fastener elements and lock the slider against further movement. In my improved construction, however, no such action takes place because the surfaces 28 on the ends of jaws 19 are inclined at a suitable angle indicated' at a in Fig. 2, to the edge of the Stringer, such inclination, of course',

being in the same direction as the inclination of the diverging branches'25 of the slider channel. It has been found that an inclination of about twenty degrees is most satisfactory. The lower corners of each element are thus cut back and also preferably slightl rounded so as to avoid catching on the anges of the slider. It ywill be readily apparent that my im ation of the` fastener, especially when being closed under considerable strain and the maximum closing pull which can be exerted by the slider is very considerably increased. Furthermore, the surfaces 28 taken collec- '75 proved constructlon results 1n smooth opertively will form a smooth trackway during While I have shown and described in this v application one embodiment which m invention may assume in practice, it will be understood that this embodiment is merely for the purposes of illustration and description and that various other forms may be devised within the scope of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention is.: y

l1. A slide fastener having cooperating series of fastener elements on opposite edges of an article to be fastened, a slider movable along said series of elements for opening and closing the fastener, guide ianges on the slider, and cooperating track surfaces on said fastener elements adapted to abut against said guide flanges, said track surfaces extending substantially more than half way across the ends of the elements and being inclined outwardly from each other in the direction of closing movement of the slider to facilitate closure of the fastener. i 2. In a slide fastener, a pair of fastener stringere, cooperating series of plate-like interlocking elements. attached along adjacent edges of said stringers, said elements each having a projection on one side and a recess on the opposite side, a slider movable along said elements for engaging or disengaging the same, said slider having walls adapted to embrace said elements, the surfaces of said elements which abut the side walls of the 3. In a sllde fastener, a pair of fastener stringers, cooperating series of plate-like interlocking elements attached along adjacent edges of said stringers, a slider movable along said elements for engaging or disengaging the same, said slider having walls defining a Y-shaped channel with diverging branches inclined outwardly relative to the edges of the fastener stringers, said slider having side walls or guide flanges, and said elements having their end surfaces adapted to abut against said side walls, said entire end surfaces being inclined in substantially the same direction as the diverging branches of the slider channel to facilitate closure of the fastener under stress.

4. In a slide fastener, a pair of fastener stringers, cooperating series of plate-like interlocking elements attached along adjacent edges of said stringers, a slider movable along said elements for engaging or disengaging the same, said slider having walls adapted to embrace said elements, the entire end surfaces of said elements which abut the side walls of the slider being inclined outwardly from the center line of said fastener in the direction of closing movement of the slider at an angle of about twenty degrees to the center line of the fastener to facilitate closure under stress.

5. In a slide fastener, a pair of fastener stringers, cooperating series of plate-like interlocking elements attached along adjacent edges of said stringers, a slider movable along said elements for engaging or disengaging the same, said slider having walls adapted to embrace said elements, each of said elements having on one end an interlocking projection at one side and a recess on the other side, and at its other end a pair of clamping jaws adapted to engage around the edge of a stringer,said jaws on the projection side of said element being substantially longer than on the recess side of said element to facilitate closing movement of the slider.

6. In a slide fastener, an interlocking element of 'plate-like form having at one end an interlocking projection on one face and a correspondingly shaped recess on the opposite face, and at its other end, a, pair of spaced-apart clampin jaws, the entire end surfaces of said jaws eing substantially inclined outwardly toward the projection side of said element so that said jaws are longer on the projection side than on the recess side of the element.

In testimony whereof I aliix my signature.

SAMUEL H. NORTON. 

